[Review] An Ancient Gift and Other Stories

Three stories of magic, mystery and horror by award-winning author Jeanne Grunert. "The Glove"...She needs peace and quiet, but sending her son to her grandfather's house while she recovers from pneumonia may give this woman more quiet than she bargained for..."Friday Night Visitor"...A bargain goes horribly, horribly wrong..."An Ancient Gift"...Two sisters preparing their grandmother's house for sale find a hidden surprise within the house...and within themselves.

Review

This collection of short stories was a very quick read. I read it in less than 20 minutes. There were three paranormal stories. Each of the stories had interesting concepts and were designed to creep you out. 

The problem I have with short stories, that I am learning, is that sometimes things are unexplained or left hanging. This makes a story that is supposed to be scary/mysterious a bit confusing. The first two stories were interesting and enjoyable. The first was basically a woman remembering something terrifying that happened when she was a child. The second was a waitress who runs into a scary diner guest. The third is.. I guess two sisters dealing with a terrifying power while trying to put their family home on the market. Maybe. 

"The Glove" and "Friday Night Visitor" were pretty straightforward in their creepiness and had enough details that you aren't left floundering for an explanation. However, when I read "An Ancient Gift" I was pretty much just left confused. The concept for it was very interesting, but I felt like I was lost without more back-story. 

3 Stars